Today, Rep. Terri Bryant met for several hours with constituents from Jackson County to hear their concerns. Among the many topics of conversation were issues related to uncertainty with the State's current budget situation. Bryant has conducted a district wide listening tour this week with meetings in Union and Jackson County.

The listening tour will wrap up next week on Wednesday July 1st with an office availability at Bryant's office in Mt. Vernon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. District residents can visit www.repbryant.com and follow the contact form link to set up an appointment, or they can call 618-242-8115. If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact Rep. Bryant's office any time.

Murphysboro....In response to Governor Rauner’s veto of the unbalanced budget sent to him by Chicago Democrats and their partners in the legislature, State Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) offered the following statement: “Today Governor Rauner vetoed an unbalanced, unconstitutional budget sent to him by Chicago led Democrat politicians. For the past 12 years, the power of Chicago’s Democrats in the legislature has gone unchecked. Today, it was checked. To avert what will most certainly be a crisis caused by Speaker Madigan and his allies in the legislature, I call on the Democrats in the legislature to get back to good faith negotiations and to join Republicans in reforming Illinois’ broken and unbalanced budget. We must reform the way Illinois does business, starting with keeping our Constitutional charge of providing a balanced budget that working middle class families can steadily rely on.”

Murphysboro....State Representative Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) has released information detailing several traveling office hours. Rep. Bryant and her staff will be available to assist constituents with issues related to State government.

Please find below a list of times, dates, and locations where Rep. Bryant and her staff will be available.

To make an appointment for a specific time, please call our Mt. Vernon office at 618-242-8115 or fill out the contact form on this web page and make your request. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Murphysboro....State Rep. Terri Bryant (R - Murphysboro) announced today that she is asking her district's residents to visit the Citizens Utility Board web page to sign a petition calling for an investigation into a massive electricity delivery rate hike that will negatively impact Illinois families this summer. To sign the petition, Click Here

MISO is the power grid operator in Central and Southern Illinois and 14 other states. It holds a yearly auction to determine “capacity” costs for the next year (June 1 through May 31). Capacity costs are fees wrapped in electricity prices that ensure power plants produce enough energy when demand is high.

In the latest auction, Illinois’ capacity cost turned out to be more than 40 times higher than the other 14 states. CUB Executive Director David Kolata called the results of the auction “absurd,” since Illinois has plenty of electricity. Meanwhile, power generators are expected to receive a windfall because of the new prices. (Ameren the utility isn’t a power generator so it doesn’t profit off these supply rates.)

Bryant is urging residents of the 115th District to visit The Citizens Utility Board website and sign the petition calling for a federal investigation into the auction that caused the excessive rate spikes.

"Southern Illinois' working families are already facing higher prices at the pump, higher food and medicine prices, and the list goes on," Bryant said. "This type of increase is an outrage in a power rich state like Illinois. We have enormous energy reserves at our disposal and there is no excuse for working families and seniors on fixed incomes to face this type of spike in prices. I'm urging people to get active and sign the Citizens Utility Board petition so we can get to the bottom of this and make sure it never happens again."

Springfield….As the regularly scheduled spring legislative session came to a close, State Rep. Terri Bryant (R – Murphysboro) supported action in the Illinois House in support of equal pay for equal work. First, Bryant voted to support an amended version of HB 3619. Bryant voted Yes to concur with changes made to the bill in the Illinois Senate. Bryant says the changes lowered the fines for first time offenses to reduce the burden on the smallest of small businesses.“Often, the process involved in drafting good legislation takes time and compromise,” Bryant said. “The original fines for businesses with 3 or less employees were far too high. When we work together to reach compromise in Springfield, we get better results. I thank the sponsor for being open to changes and removing the opposition of small business associations.”Bryant had argued that high first time fines proposed in the original bill were likely to drive more businesses, jobs, and population from the state. That type of outward migration is something Bryant says Illinois cannot afford.“The business climate in Illinois is already very difficult and laden with regulation. Illinois can’t afford to lose any more jobs. I want to commend the sponsor of this legislation for being open to making a pro-business change that allowed us all to vote to support equal pay for equal work,” Bryant said.”Adding to her long record of support for equal pay legislation, Bryant also signed on as a chief sponsor and voted Yes for House Resolution 442. “HR 442 plainly states that we strongly support workplace equity and equality under the law covering pay and benefits for employees as established by the Equal Pay Act of 1963,” Bryant said. “I’m proud to sponsor this Resolution and look forward to continue to advocate and support equal pay efforts.”